2016 Hilux equipment

With 31 models in the new Hilux range – 19 of them 4x4 – there are plenty of options to consider when it comes to visiting your dealer.

What you want and need will be your first considerations – but, as always, what you end up with will come down to what you can afford. So let’s look at what you get in each model, from the tradie favourite, Workmate, up to the top-of-the-line SR5.

All 4x4 Hiluxes now get air-conditioning; cruise control; power windows and mirrors; central locking; seven airbags; a reversing camera on ute tubs (available as an accessory for cab-chassis variants); electronic stability control and traction control; trailer-sway control; hill-start assist; ABS with BA and EBD; a reach- and height-adjustable steering column; daytime running lights; an 80-litre fuel tank; headlight levelling; and an entertainments system with AM-FM radio, a CD player, Bluetooth, voice recognition and steering-wheel controls.

In the 4x4 Workmate you get cloth seat trim, vinyl floor covering, 17-inch steel wheels with all-terrain tyres, manual air-con, and a 6.1-inch display audio screen with just two speakers (that’s not a lot, but it’s not bad for the apprentice’s knock about). All Workmate spec 4x4s are powered by the new 2.4-litre 2GD-FTV diesel, producing 110kW and 400Nm, with either a six-speed auto or manual.

Step up to the 4x4 Hilux SR and you get 130kW and 450Nm via the 2.8-litre 1GD-FTV four-cylider diesel engine, again, available with an auto or manual. There’s also a four-litre petrol V6 in the mix, but it’s only available as an auto, double-cab ute. All SR 4x4s get a rear differential lock.

SR also adds some dress-up with black side steps; chrome exterior door handles; B-pillar black-out; interior floor carpet; premium-fabric seat trim; an air-conditioned cooler/heater box to keep your lunch fresh; a seven-inch display for the audio system, with four speakers in extra-cab models and six in the double–cab; a multi-information display; a 60-40 split-fold rear seat base in the double-cab; and seat-height adjustment. We’d have liked to have seen 17-inch alloy wheels included here, but it was not to be. You’re still riding on steelies, but at least it’s with the AT tyres.

You have to go up to SR5 spec for alloys and those are 18-inch wheels wearing highway-terrain tyres. If you tick the six-speed manual option on your turbo-diesel SR5, you get the intelligent manual transmission. This button, near the gear lever, produces smoother shifts by more accurately matching engine speed to the transmission for smoother driving.

SR5s are primarily powered by the 2.8 diesel; but, again, there’s one petrol V6 option as a double-cab, auto ute.

In the SR5 you also get a premium shift knob and steering wheel; auto-levelling LED headlamps; LED daytime running lamps; fog lights; a stainless-steel sports bar; chrome-capped, power-retractable exterior mirrors; keyless entry and start; privacy glass; a chrome grille and rear step; chrome interior door handles; climate-control air-conditioning; auto up-down function on all windows, not just the driver’s; adjustable intermittent wipers; satellite navigation; digital audio; a premium instrument cluster; a 4.2-inch TFT colour multi-info display; an additional 12V power socket; a 220V accessory socket; an alarm; and downhill-assist control (4x4 SR5 auto). Add the optional leather-accented trim and a power driver's seat to your SR5 double-cab diesel and you’re at the SR5+ level.

Toyota isn’t ruling out the possibility of a specification above SR5 sometime down the track. It recognises the success of Ford’s Wildtrak model and the fact that so many Hiluxes sold are of SR5 spec. Buyers obviously want more features, style and comfort, as utes are more than work hacks these days. A $65K-plus Hilux with full leather trim and safety features, such as autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot indicators, is not out of the question. It’s more a question of when it will arrive – not if it will arrive.

For more on the new Hilux click here.

See Toyota’s genuine accessories here.